Power system.



No. 862,375. 'PATENTED AUG. 6, 1907.

G. AYRBS. POWER SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 14,1906.

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GUSTAV 'AYRES, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

POWER SYSTEM.

No. soaaro.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 6, 1907.

Application filed May 14,1900. as No. 316,718.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Gusmv AYRES, a citizen of the United States,residing at Washington, in the District of Columbia, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Power Systems, of which thefollowing is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in power systems, and it consistsin the constructions, combinations, and arrangements herein describedand claimed.

An object of my invention is to provide an improved power system capableof a materially greater radius of operation than is possible withexisting systems,'and especially adapted for automobile devices, such astorpedoes, vehicles, etc.

A further object of my invention is to provide a compact power systemhaving a high thermodynamic and mechanical eflicien'cy, and constructedto automatically continue in operation with certainty after being oncestarted.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this application, and inwhich similar reference symbols indicate corresponding parts in theseveral views, Figure 1 is a sectional elevation, taken on the line 11of Fig. 2, illustrating one embodiment ofmy invention; Fig. 2 is a planview of the construction shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a sectional view,ona larger scale, taken on the line 33 of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a-sectionalview, on a larger scale, taken on the line 44 of Fig. 1; Fig. 5 is asectional view, on a larger scale, taken on the line 55 of Fig. 1, andFig. 6 is a perspective view, showing the operating valve and thecircuit-controlling means carried thereby.

Referring to the drawings, 1 indicates a reservoir for containing asupply of air under pressure. Any suitable form of fluid-pressure motor2 is positioned within the reservoir and provided with an admissionopening 3 for maintaining said motor in free communication with thecompressed air supply in the reservoir. After passing through the motor2, theair is conducted by a pipe 4 to a carbureter 5; said pipe beingshown provided with a check valve 6 and with a reducing valve 7.

A pipe 8, provided with a hand-controlled cut-off valve 9, is providedfor conducting the carbureted mixture from the carbureter 5 to thecasing 10 of a main operating valve 11. The valve 11 is constructed tobe actuated in any suitable manner by themotor 2; as by axially securingsaid valve to the spindle 33 of one of the rotary pistons of the motor.The valve casing 10 is connected by feed pipes 12 and 13 to a pluralityof combustion chambers 14 and 15, preferably placed within the reservoir1; and a supply pipe 16 connects the valve casing with a motor 17. Inautomobile practice, a turbine type of motor has proven veryadvantagoons, since it combines large power with a minimum of bulk andweight; where a turbine is employed, the supply pipe 16 can terminatein, or lead to, one or more turbine nozzles. 1;

Each combustion chamber is provided with any suitable form of ignitiondevice controlled by the operation of the main operating valve 11. Ihave illustrated such ignition device constituting a pair of sparking.electrodes 18 in each combustion chamber; the electrodes of the severalchambers being connected in multiple to one terminal 19 of the secondarycircuit of a spark coil 20. Flexible contacts 21 are arranged in serieswith the several pairs of sparking electrodes, and positioned angularlyabout the periphery of a cylindrical stud 22 carried by the operatingvalve 11. The stud 22 carries a sleeve 23 of insulating material,through which extend wings 24 on said stud in position to engage thecontacts 21 upon rotation of the stud by the valve 1.1. The otherterminal 25 of the secondary circuit of the spark coil 20 is connectedto the valve casing at 26, thereby permitting the secondary circuit tobe closed through the valve casing and stud 22 upon rotation of the saidstud to bring its wings 24 in engagement successively with the contacts21. The primary circuit of the spark coil 20 is provided with a pair ofterminals 27 and 28, which are insulated at 29 from the valve casing;the contact 28 being shown provided with a resilient arm 30 constructedto normally maintain the. circuit open. A ring 31 is secured to theinsulating sleeve 23 out of electrical contact with the stud 22, andprovided with a series of cam lugs 32 in position to successively engagethe resilient arm 30 for closing.

the primary circuit. The lugs 32 are positioned to make and break theprimary circuit during the successive engagement of the wings 24 withthe several contacts 21; thereby causing sparking between the electrodes1.8 successively in the several combustion chambers.

any desired pressure within the reservoir 1., and the carbureter 5charged with any suitable carbureting matsrial. The hand valve 9 is thenopened to permit flow of the compressed air through the motor 2 and pastthe reducing valve 7 to the carbureter 5. The carbureted mixture isconducted by the pipe 8 from the carbureter 5 to the valve' casing l0,from which it will be directed by one of the feed pipes 12 or 13 to thecorresponding combustion chamber, the particular chamber receiving suchflow depends upon the position of the main valve 11. In the position ofthe valve shown in Fig. 3, the carbureted mixture is flowing through thefeed pipe 12 to the combustion chamber 14, while the combustion chamber15 is discharging through the pipes 13, 16 to the motor .17. Afurtherrotation of the operating valve 11 and its stud 22 will In the operationof my invention, air is stored under cut off the chamber 14 from thesupply of carbureted mixture and simultaneously produce sparking of theelectrodes 18 in such chamber for ignitiiig the mixture therein. Aslight further movement of the operating valve places the chamber 14 incommunication with the motor, through the pipes 12, 16; andsimultaneously cuts off the chamber 15 from said motor and places it incommunication with the carbureter for receiving a new charge of mixturetherefrom. Through the actuation of the operating valve 11 by the motor2 throughout the entire operation, the several combustion chambers willbe in turn successively placed in communication with the carbureter, becut off from the carhureter and have their explosive mixture ignited,and be placed in communication with the motor 17. By thus carburetingthe compressed air and successively igniting the portion of theresultant'mixture in relatively small closed combustion chambers, theenergy of the motive fluid is-grea-tly augmented in an eflicient mannerby the addition of heat thereto at high temperatures.

By placing the combustion chambers within the reservoir 1, the walls ofsaid chambers can be maintained at a temperature within satisfactorypractical limits without incident waste of heat; since the heatconducted to the walls of said chambers is absorbed by thecompressed'air in said reservoir. in constructions where it is advisableto jacket the combustion chamhers ior preventing loss of heattherethrough, the chamber at which combustion takes place within saidchamhers must be limited below certain limits for preventing injuriousoverheating of the chambers walls. In my improved construction, thecombustion in the combustion chambers can be produced at efiicientlyhightemperatures, since the chamber walls are protected from overheatingby the conduction of heat therethrough. I have shown a preferredarrangement,

in which the combustion chambers and motor 2 are placed in the upperportion of the reservoir l for preventing dissemination and diffusion ofthe heat by convection through the entire mass of air in said reservoir.

From the above description, it will be seen that my invention providesefficient means for augmenting the energy of a motive fluid by addingheat at a high temperature successively tosmall confined portions ofsuch fluid.

I have illustrated and described a satisfactory and preferredconstruction, but, obviously, changes could be made within the spiritand scope of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:-

1. in a power system, the combination of a series of combustionchambers, carbureti ng means connected to seas" said chambers, means orconducting a supply oi! air to said csrburetlng means, and meanscontrolled by such air supply: for distributing the explosive mixturesucessiveiy 'to said several combustion chambers, substantially asdescribed.

2. in a power system, the combination of a series of combustionchambers, carbureting means connected to said chambers, means forconducting a supply of air to said cnrbureting means, and a single meansactuated by such air supply for distributing the explosive mixturesuccessively to said several combustion chambers, substantially asdescribed.

3. in a power system. the combination of a series oi combustionchambers, carbureting means connected to said chambers, means forconducting a supply of air to said carbureting means, means fordischarging the products of combustion from said chambers, and meanscontrolled by such air supply for distributing the explosive mixture tosaid several combustion chambers and actuating said discharge means.substantially as described.

4. in a power system, the combination of a series of combustionchambers, cal-bursting means connected to said chambers, means forconducting :1 supply of air to said carbureting means, means fordischarging the products of combustion from said chambers, and a singlemeans controlled by such air supply for distributing the explosivemixture to said several combustion chambers and actuating said dischargemeans, substantially as described.

5. in a power system, the combination or a series of combustionchambers, carbureting means connected to said chambers, means forconducting a supply oi. air to said carbureting means, means forigniting the explosive mixture in said chambers, means for dischargingthe prodnets of combustiun from said chambers, and means controlled bysuch air supply for distributing the explosive mixture to said severalchambers and for actuating said ignition and dischargemenns,,substantiully as described.

6. in a power system, the combination or a series of combustionchambers, means for conducting a supply of explosive mixture thereto,means for igniting the explosive mixture in said chambers, means fordischarging the products of combustion from said chambers, and a singlemeans for distributing the explosive mixture to said several chambersand for actuating said ignition and discharge means, substantially asdescribed.

7. In a power system, the combination of a series of combustionchambers, carbureting means connected to said chambers, means forconducting a supply of air to said carbureting means, means for ignitingthe explosive mixture in said chambers, means for discharging theproducts of combustion from said chambers, and a single means controlledby such air supply for distributing the explosive mixture to saidseveral chambers and for actuating said ignition and discharge means,substantially as described.

8. In a power system, the combination of a series of combusi'lmchambers. carburetlng means connected to said several chambers, meansfor conducting a supply of air to said carbureting means, and meansactuated by such air supply for distributing the cnrbureted mixture fromsaid carbureting means to said several combustion chambers,substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I atfix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GUSTAV AYRES.

Witnesses:

ALEX. S. STEUART, F. B. ROSENTHAL.

